-Students from St.

Anselm's... Richard Montgomery... and Washington-Liberty meet today on "It's Academic"!

♪♪ ♪♪ Hello, everybody, and welcome to "It's Academic," the world's longest-running TV quiz show, now in our 65th year, which is so amazing.

We're very happy to have you here.

Produced by Altman Productions and WETA.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... George Mason University -- all together different.

-Call us different.

-Different in where we come from.

-Where we're going.

-And how we think.

-But the same in our dreams for tomorrow.

-Driven by the pull of possibility... -...to inspire... -...to think fearlessly... -to protect and to heal the planet.

-We know the world will change.

-Together... -...we will be the ones to change it.

-Call Mason different.

-All... -...together... -...different.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ -We are so happy to have all of you with us today, celebrating these students and education.

Guys, we're going to begin with the "Fast Start," as we always do.

Questions are worth 10 points, up or down.

Here we go.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Don't forget that.

Looking for "L's."

All answers will begin with the letter "L."

That's "L" as in "letter."

Washington-Liberty.

-Lakers.

-Yeah.

This bloodsucking worm was used in medicine -- Washington.

-Leech.

-Yeah.

You can view the Mona Lisa in this Paris -- Liberty.

-Louvre.

-Louvre's right.

Richard Montgomery.

Answer.

3, 2, 1... Lanthanum.

Liberty.

-Larva.

-Yeah.

This Asian country has its capital at -- Liberty.

-Laos.

-Yes, Laos.

Very good.

Yep, Liberty.

-Laughing gas.

-Correct.

Yep, Montgomery.

-Left-handed.

-Correct.

Liberty.

-Lava.

-Lava's right.

Small, portable computers are named for the -- Liberty.

-Laptops.

-Laptop it is.

And that was the very fast beginning to our "Fast Start" round.

Let's recap those scores.

St.

Anselm's -- 100 points.

Richard Montgomery -- 100 points.

Washington-Liberty -- 180 points.

[ Applause ] Alright, how about we meet these teams?

We begin with St.

Anselm's School from Washington, D.C.

Hello, Nicholas.

What should we know about you?

-Hi.

I'm Nicholas, a junior at St.

Anselm's.

I'm into rocketry and space and I was part of a group that built and designed a satellite.

-Wow.

That's cool.

Did you get a lot of personal growth out of that?

-Yeah, it was really fun.

-Beautiful.

Hello, Eamonn.

-Hi.

I'm also a member of my school's fencing team and our Model UN team.

-Nice.

Which do you prefer, if one over the other?

-Um, I could not choose.

-Could not choose.

Zikodi, hi.

How about you?

-Hello.

I'm a senior and I both swim and play soccer.

-And play soccer.

And you don't want to choose a favorite either, right?

-I prefer swimming.

-Oh, alright.

Nice.

Guys, questions in this round are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

And you don't have to buzz in.

Here we go.

A proven usage.

Even without a telescope, you can find in this phrase the name of what planet second from the sun.

-Venus.

-Yeah.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Charming."

No.

That's incorrect.

Please eliminate one word to make it right.

-"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

-That's it.

Get rid of "charming."

The word "crop" crops up in the name of what Athenian hill, where the Parthenon is located?

-The Acropolis.

-Yes.

Padua to Python.

In this volume of an old encyclopedia, you'd find information on what body part also known as the kneecap?

-The patella.

-Correct.

-Serapis.

Lusitania.

Arizona.

Which of these ships was sunk in 1915 by a German submarine, thus speeding America's entry into World War I?

-The Lusitania.

-You've got it right.

"Magnificent desolation!"

This description of the moon was given by what astronaut, the second man to walk on the moon's surface?

-Buzz Aldrin?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, Buzz Aldrin is right.

Nicely done, St.

Anselm's, home of the Panthers.

220 points.

Yay!

[ Cheers and applause ] Over to Richard Montgomery High School from Rockville, Maryland.

Hiya, Ian.

Tell us something about yourself.

-I'm a sophomore at Richard Montgomery and I love writing and I love journalism.

-Oh.

That's lovely.

Well, of course, that's my wheelhouse.

You hope to be a reporter?

-Yeah, I do, one day.

-Beautiful.

Print, TV?

It's all the same anyway anymore, right?

-I'd love to be a print journalist.

I'd love to, you know, write and report articles.

-Well, we need you, so that's beautiful.

Hello, Anthony.

-Hi.

My name is Anthony.

I'm a senior at Richard Montgomery and I was the 2025 -- I'm a 2025 national silver medalist in tae kwon do.

-Oh, my gosh, that's amazing.

How often do you practice?

-Like 3 or 4 times a week.

-Wow.

That's great.

Congratulations on that.

-Thank you.

-Yeah.

Jonathan, hello.

-Hi.

I'm Jonathan and I'm a sophomore at Richard Montgomery High School.

I play for the RM varsity volleyball team and I also do Model UN.

-Nice.

What do you learn from Model UN?

-Honestly, it made my public-speaking and especially my negotiation skills a lot better.

So, it's a lot of fun, as well.

-Good things to be good at.

Gentlemen, here we go.

Filling a test tube.

You can fill up your score if you find in this phrase the last name of what American billionaire philanthropist, the founder of Microsoft?

-Gates.

-Yeah.

Leaves of Grass Skirts.

No, this is incorrect.

Please eliminate one word to make the title of this Walt Whitman poetry collection.

-"Leaves of Grass."

-Yeah.

The letter "S," which is the chemical symbol for sulfur, appears twice in the name of what other element whose symbol is P?

-Yeah.

-Phosphorus.

-That's it.

Queens to Rotunda.

You'd consult this volume of an old encyclopedia to learn about what element, a noble gas, whose symbol is RN?

Answer is... radon.

Andersonville.

Chancellorsville.

Jacksonville.

Of these three places, whose names end with "-ville," which was an infamous Confederate prison?

-Andersonville.

-Yep, that's it.

"We will either find a way, or make one."

These words are attributed to what Ancient Carthaginian general who made his way across the Alps with elephants?

-Hannibal.

-Hannibal is right.

Can you imagine what that must have looked like back in the day?

Richard Montgomery, home of the Rockets, 200 points.

[ Applause ] And now to Arlington's Washington-Liberty High School.

Alex, good to see you.

-Hi, I'm Alex.

I'm a 15-year-old junior, and outside of "It's Academic," I also enjoy playing video games and participating in technical theater.

-Ooh!

Tell me, what favorite video game is yours?

-"Celeste."

It's a 2018 platformer.

-Okay.

Very good.

Hi, Kedar.

-Hi.

My name is Kedar.

I'm a senior at W&L and I like cooking.

-Cooking.

What do you like to cook?

-I'm on the search for the perfect biscuit right now.

-Perfect biscuit.

That's nice.

Good time of year for that.

And, Robert, hi.

-Hi.

I'm Robert.

I'm a 16-year-old junior at Washington-Liberty and I enjoy playing strategy games and learning about history.

-Nice.

What strategy game do you prefer?

-Probably "Crusader Kings III."

It's where you're a king.

-Oh, that's nice to be king -- for a game.

Here we go.

A limo lease.

Before you drive off in your limo, please find hidden in this phrase the name of what small burrowing animal that lives mainly underground?

-Mole.

-Mole is right.

Green Organic Eggs and Ham.

Close, but not quite.

Please delete one word to make this Dr.

Seuss title correct.

-"Organic."

-Yeah.

It took more than a ton of rock to erect what famous structure on England's Salisbury Plain that you can name by filling in the blanks?

-Stonehenge.

-Stonehenge is right.

Pink to pyxie.

This volume of an old encyclopedia would have information on what precious metallic element whose symbol is PT?

-Platinum.

-Yes.

Savanna.

Tundra.

Pampas.

If you traveled south from the North Pole, which of these landscapes would you encounter first?

-The tundra.

-The tundra is right.

"She never walked; she ran."

This was a description of what first lady who ran the White House from 1933 to '45?

-Eleanor Roosevelt.

-You've got it.

Nicely done, Washington-Liberty, home of the Generals.

300 points.

[ Applause ] That's it for "Mix & Match."

The "Picture Perfect" round is next.

See you in a minute.

In 1961, nine high-school students walked into a TV studio in Washington, D.C., to film the very first episode of "It's Academic."

-Good evening, and welcome to "It's Academic," the weekly program... -Little did they know that over the course of the next 65 years, thousands of high-school students would follow them onto the set and into broadcast history.

-I think what has kept "It's Academic" on the air for so long -- you had strong support from the schools and we've had a strong community support.

-There aren't a ton of outlets to, like, be competitive in an academic setting.

-It teaches composure, knowledge, wisdom.

-And it's, like, an engaging, fun quiz show, but it also teaches you so much about the world and so many different facets.

-Today, "It's Academic" is celebrating 65 years and is the world's longest-running TV quiz show.

Thank you, students, schools, viewers, and fans.

And remember, it's academic.

Welcome back, everybody.

It's time for the "Picture Perfect" round.

In this round, we've got a lot of pictures, and I'll have questions you will answer.

They're worth 20 points, up or down.

Once again, the first team to buzz in gets to answer.

Guys, in this medieval view of Paris, you see swans swimming in what river that divides -- Montgomery.

-Moat.

-Pardon me?

-Moat.

-No, the Seine.

That's the river that divides the city of Paris.

This is a cross-section of what sort of chambered seashell?

St.

Anselm's.

-Nautilus.

-Nautilus is right.

This early Mondrian painting has what same one-word name as the title of a science-fiction novel by Frank Herbert?

Yep, Liberty.

-"Dune."

-Yeah!

Evaluate this -- Yes, Mont-- Liberty.

Answer?

-18.

-18 is right.

This penguin lives on what British-held islands that were the subject of a 19-- Liberty.

-Falklands.

-The Falkland Islands.

Yeah.

1982 war.

This emoticon might be a signature from what "Alice in Wonderland" cat who often disappeared -- Liberty.

-Cheshire.

-Cheshire is right.

Choice -- 2 liters of oxygen at standard temperature and pressure -- -Liberty.

-32 grams.

-3 grams.

3 grams is the answer we were looking for.

What peace treaty was signed two weeks after the Battle of New Orleans was fought in the War of 1812?

-Yes?

-The Treaty of Paris.

-No, it's the Treaty of Ghent, Montgomery.

But good leap.

That does it for "Picture Perfect."

Let's check out these scores.

St.

Anselm's -- 240.

Richard Montgomery -- 160.

Washington-Liberty -- 360 points.

So, we know that you watch "It's Academic," and we've got a question for you -- ready?

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

We will actually have an answer to this question in just a moment.

Keep it here.

First, we're going to go and meet the coaches.

Alright, first, we go to St.

Anselm's, home of the Panthers.

Eamonn, who's with you?

-We are with our science teacher and coach, Mr.

Shpiece.

-Wonderful.

What's so good about him?

-Everything.

-Everything.

Alright.

He takes that.

Good to have you.

To Richard Montgomery.

Hi, Anthony.

Who's standing behind you?

-Hi.

I'd like to thank Ms.

Deeny, our principal, and Mr.

Mason, our coach, for all the support they've given us.

-Wonderful.

It's really good to see you guys.

And to Washington-Liberty.

Wow.

We have a whole crew back there, Kedar.

-We have our wonderful coaches, Ms.

Sotomayor and Ms.

Scher, our assistant principal, Ms.

Shivers, and then our assistant director of student activities, Mr.

Healy, and we have our alternate, Benjamin, as well.

-Wonderful.

So good to see all of you guys.

Thanks so much for supporting your teams and getting them ready for competition.

And now I have an answer for that question.

Are you ready?

Chicken or egg?

According to researchers, the chicken came first.

So that's one thing we don't have to worry about anymore.

I can't elaborate as to why, but we could just imagine why the chicken may have come first.

And with that, we are ready for the "Packet" round.

You know how this works.

We have these three packets here.

St.

Anselm's will answer questions first.

Richard Montgomery will choose which packet they answer questions from.

-Three.

-Three.

So, you guys know, if you get all the questions right, there's a... -Bonus.

-Yeah!

25-point bonus.

Here we go.

"Long blond hair" was a noted feature of what American cavalry officer who made his last stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn?

-General Custer.

-That's right.

Visitors to Iceland can see what same spectacular natural phenomena that, in the U.S., is epitomized by Yellowstone's Old Faithful?

-Geysers.

-Yeah, that's it.

In 2009, an instrument capable of measuring the salinity of the ocean from space was placed aboard a spacecraft from what country whose capital is Buenos Aires?

-Argentina.

-That's right.

Here's your science question.

Pseudopodia.

Cilia.

Tail whip.

Which of these is the means of locomotion used by a paramecium?

-Cilia.

-Cilia is it.

What Renaissance Italian statesman's name has become a symbol for political amorality because of the philosophy he advocated in his work "The Prince."

-Machiavelli.

-Yes.

Had the fictional Gulliver stated his occupation on his tax return, he'd have listed what same profession as the fictional characters Zhivago and Jekyll?

-Doctor.

-Doctor's right.

Here's your math question.

Solve for X if Y equals 3.

-49.

-49 is right.

Though he didn't have access to e-mail, what radical Bostonian organized the 18th century Committees of Correspondence and led the Sons of Liberty?

-Benjamin Franklin?

-Nah, it was Sam Adams.

But you guys did a great job.

St.

Anselm's -- 380 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] Richard Montgomery is up.

Washington-Liberty, packet 1 or 2?

-One, please.

-One.

Alright.

Guys, Paul Revere and John Hancock not only worked together during the Revolutionary War, they're buried near each other in what Massachusetts capital city?

-Boston.

-Yep, it's Boston.

A meat-and-potatoes historian might note that a major cause of American immigration in the 1840s was the Great Potato Famine in what European country?

-Ireland.

-Yes.

Because he was on the losing side of the war with the Greek gods, what mythical Titan was condemned to forever hold the heavens on his shoulders?

-Atlas.

-Yeah.

Here's your science question.

Ductility.

Solubility.

Carburation.

Which of these refers to the physical property of a substance which allows it to be drawn into a wire?

-Ductility.

-That's it.

If you visited the largest of the Dodecanese Islands, you'd be on what Aegean island known in ancient times for its Colossus?

-Rhodes.

-Yes, that's right.

The title of a famous book by Sir Thomas More has come to mean what perfect place, an ideal society where poverty and injustice do not exist?

-"Utopia."

-"Utopia."

Imagine.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-25.

-Yeah.

The only U.S.

president sworn in by a woman was what Democrat sworn in by Judge Sarah Hughes in 1963, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy?

-Lyndon Baines Johnson.

-And with that answer, you get a 25-point bonus, Richard Montgomery.

Whoo!

And that leaves packet number 2, Washington-Liberty.

Asia, our largest continent, touches three oceans -- the Pacific, the Indian and what northernmost ocean?

-Arctic.

-That's it.

When the rain ended and the biblical Noah sent a dove out of the ark, the dove brought back what kind of tree branch that today symbolizes peace?

-Olive.

-Olive branch is right.

The title "dictator for life" was given to what Ancient Roman general whose life ended when he was assassinated in 44 BC?

-Caesar.

-It's Caesar.

Here's your science question.

Helium.

Krypton.

Radon.

Which of these noble gases is naturally radioactive?

-Radon?

-That's it.

In ancient times, blacksmiths paid special homage to what god of the forge, who was said to make the thunderbolts hurled at Zeus?

-Hephaestus.

-That's it.

In 1873, a patent for a self-pasting scrapbook was granted to what American writer better known for novels like "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"?

-Twain.

-That's it.

Yeah.

Very good.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

-3.

-Right again.

If you go to France, you can climb a mountain named for what 28th U.S.

president, who rose to political heights during World War I?

-Wilson.

-Yeah, Wilson is right.

Another 25-point bonus, for Washington-Liberty.

Amazing.

That was a great round.

Two bonuses and one almost-bonus by St.

Anselm's.

Let's look at these scores.

St.

Anselm's -- 380.

Richard Montgomery -- 345.

Washington-Liberty -- 545.

And we will be back with the "Grab Bag" next.

[ Applause ] Did you know that flies buzz in the musical key of F?

As far as we know, none of them have ever formed a band, but, presumably, the possibility exists.

So for those of you who are musically inclined, now you know.

And everything leads to this moment.

It is time to start the "Grab Bag" round.

Guys, you know questions are worth 20 points, up or down.

Some of these will be visual clues.

Here we go.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

The book "Mr.

Lincoln's Camera Man" is not about a TV crew member, but a biography of what pioneer American photographer?

Anybody?

Anybody?

Mathew Brady.

What are the three sequential vowels commonly used to designate the promissory note a borrower gives to a lender?

Liberty.

-I-O-U.

-That is right.

Based on a real event, the novel "The Great Train Robbery" is by what author who stole readers' hearts with "Jurassic Park"?

Liberty.

-Michael Crichton.

-That's it.

On your screens.

This painting depicts a chief of what "M"-initialed Native American tribe that was part of the Iroquois confederation?

Liberty.

-Mohawk.

-Mohawk is right.

French Huguenots had a difficult life until what 1598 edict ended some of the religious persecution -- Anselm's.

-The Edict of Nantes.

-Correct.

Nicely done.

What is the angle between 0 and 90 degrees whose sine and cosine are equal -- St.

Anselm's.

-45.

-45 is right.

In 2002, the news that five giant black sable antelope, thought to be extinct, had been sighted.

This created jubilation in what African country where Luanda is capital?

Anybody?

Yep.

-Angola.

-Angola is right.

Nicely done, Richard Montgomery.

On your screens.

This vision of America was expressed by what 39th president, a Democrat, who served between 1970 -- Anselm's.

-Carter.

-Yeah, it's Carter.

By what "Z"-initialed name do we identify the terraced structures built for religious purposes in ancient -- Liberty?

-Ziggurat.

-That's it, yeah.

Choice.

A process of nuclear division in which the number of chromosomes is reduced by half is diopter, tropism, or meiosis?

Liberty.

Answer.

-Meiosis.

-Yeah, it's meiosis.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell was honored for her 1967 discovery of what highly magnetized rotating neutron stars that emit beams of -- St.

Anselm's.

-Pulsars.

-Pulsars is correct.

On your screens.

-Carnation.

-Montgomery.

You said "carnation"?

No, that was the clue.

But the answer was Agatha Christie.

According to naval tradition, what frightening condition exists on board when a ship flies a yellow flag?

Yep, Anselm's.

-Scurvy.

-Well, it's disease, nothing specific, so I don't think so.

When Jefferson referred to the "most dangerous blot on our Constitution," he meant what institution that provides for the indirect election of a president?

Liberty.

-The electoral college.

-That's it.

With 27 decorations, Sergeant Tony Herbert was the most decorated soldier in what Asian conflict ending in 1953?

-Anselm's.

-[ Buzzer ] -The Korean war.

-It is the Korean War.

Very good.

And that does it for our "Grab Bag" round.

We're going to tally up the scores and tell you what they are after this.

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, here are some things you should know.

The phrase "the fog of war" comes from a poem by McDonald Clarke titled "The Battle of Bunker Hill."

Learn more about America's founding.

Stream "The American Revolution," a new documentary from Ken Burns, premiering November 16th on WETA+, a brand-new, free, and easy-to-use streaming service created specifically for D.C.-area viewers like you.

For more information, go to weta.org/wetaplus.

The scores are now official.

And, by the way, we did accept the answer of "scurvy" for St.

Anselm's.

But we're going to begin with Richard Montgomery from Rockville, Maryland.

Ian, Anthony, Jonathan -- 345 points.

[ Applause ] From St.

Anselm's Abbey School in Washington, Nicholas, Eamonn, and Zikodi -- 480 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] Coming back for the playoffs, Washington-Liberty High School from Arlington, Alex, Kedar, and Robert -- 665 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] See you next week.

Remember, everybody... -It's academic!

-Bye.

See you.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... George Mason University -- all together different.

-Call us different.

-Different in where we come from.

-Where we're going.

-And how we think.

-But the same in our dreams for tomorrow.

-Driven by the pull of possibility... -...to inspire... -...to think fearlessly... -to protect and to heal the planet.

-We know the world will change.

-Together... -...we will be the ones to change it.

-Call Mason different.

-All... -...together... -...different.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪